Average Architect Salary in United States for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Architect salary for 2024 in United States and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does an Architect Make in United States?

An Architect working in United States will typically earn around 119,700 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 62,300 USD to the highest average salary of 184,700 USD.

Average Annual Salary
119,700 USD
Average Monthly Salary
9,975 USD

Lowest Annual Salary
62,300 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary
5,191 USD

Highest Annual Salary
184,700 USD
Highest Monthly Salary
15,391 USD

These are average salaries for an Architect in United States and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for an Architect to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Architect salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Architect Salaries in United States

So we've looked at the average salaries an Architect will earn in United States. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that an Architect can earn between 62,300 USD and 184,700 USD on average in United States. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for an Architect in United States is 114,600 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 114,600 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 114,600 USD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Architect salary in United States, 25% of the population are earning less than 80,800 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 80,800 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 140,700 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 140,700 USD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Architect Salary by Experience Level in United States

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average architect salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. An Architect in United States that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 74,500 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Architect salary would increase to 91,700 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as an Architect, the average salary would be 128,200 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 150,100 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. An Architect with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 163,500 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For an Architect with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 172,100 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
74,500 USD
2-5 Years +23%
91,700 USD
5-10 Years +42%
128,200 USD
10-15 Years +17%
150,100 USD
15-20 Years +10%
163,500 USD
20+ Years +6%
172,100 USD

Architect Salary by Education Level in United States

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for an Architect in United States based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • Bachelor's Degree. An Architect in United States with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 83,400 USD.

  • Master's Degree. An Architect in United States with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 160,700 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Bachelor's Degree
83,400 USD
Master's Degree +93%
160,700 USD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Architect Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In United States, a male architect will earn an average of 124,500 USD, while a female architect will earn around 115,600 USD.

This means that a male architect earns approximately 8% more than a female architect for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United States

Male
124,500 USD
Female -8%
115,600 USD

Architect Average Pay Raise in United States

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for an Architect in United States is around 11% every 17 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 11 ÷ 17 ) × 12  = 8%

What this means is that an Architect in United States can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 8% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in United States for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United States.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
4%
Energy
8%
Information Technology
3%
Healthcare
7%
Travel
2%
Construction
6%
Education
1%

Architect Bonus and Incentive Rates in United States

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

An Architect is a high bonus based job, with 79% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

21% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 6% to 8%.

Received Bonus
79%
No Bonus
21%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
98,800 USD
Private Sector -6%
93,100 USD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to an Architect

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to an Architect in United States.

Job Title Category Salary
Architectural Designer Architecture 107,300 USD
Architectural Drafter Architecture 45,000 USD
Architectural Manager Architecture 177,100 USD
Architectural Technician Architecture 69,400 USD
Architectural Technologist Architecture 66,900 USD
Architecture Consultant Architecture 160,600 USD
Architecture Estimating Manager Architecture 127,700 USD
Architecture Specifications Writer Architecture 45,200 USD
Assistant Architectural Manager Architecture 157,600 USD
CAD Drafter Architecture 47,800 USD
CAD Manager Architecture 102,700 USD
Design and Decoration Assistant Architecture 47,200 USD
Design Manager Architecture 158,700 USD
Drafter Architecture 44,200 USD
Drafting Supervisor Architecture 86,600 USD
Facilities and Project Manager Architecture 158,700 USD
Facility Planner Architecture 89,900 USD
Interior Architect Architecture 95,300 USD
Interior Decorator Architecture 88,300 USD
Interior Design Assistant Architecture 44,500 USD
Interior Designer Architecture 90,300 USD
Kitchen Designer Architecture 54,100 USD
Landscape Architect Architecture 132,000 USD
Landscape Artist Architecture 74,300 USD
Landscaper Architecture 67,800 USD
Mapping Technician Architecture 43,500 USD
Mechanical Drafter Architecture 54,200 USD
Photogrammetrist Architecture 49,300 USD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United States, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Atlanta 109,000 USD
Austin 132,000 USD
Baltimore 114,900 USD
Boston 123,000 USD
Bristol 93,100 USD
Chicago 138,700 USD
Cincinnati 99,700 USD
Cleveland 105,800 USD
Dallas 125,400 USD
Denver 116,400 USD
Detroit 115,600 USD
Honolulu 95,100 USD
Houston 132,000 USD
Indianapolis 119,700 USD
Iowa City 100,400 USD
Jacksonville 130,500 USD
Kansas City 114,900 USD
Kent 92,900 USD
Las Vegas 117,100 USD
Long Beach 111,700 USD
Los Angeles 139,100 USD
Memphis 117,100 USD
Miami 109,700 USD
Minneapolis 98,300 USD
New Orleans 103,600 USD
New York 142,100 USD
Oakland 107,700 USD
Oklahoma City 116,400 USD
Orlando 94,400 USD
Philadelphia 134,700 USD
Phoenix 127,600 USD
Sacramento 114,300 USD
San Antonio 127,600 USD
San Diego 130,500 USD
San Francisco 119,700 USD
San Jose 123,800 USD
Seattle 119,700 USD
Tampa 103,600 USD
Vancouver 100,700 USD
Washington D.C. 123,800 USD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United States.

City Average Salary
Alabama 119,700 USD
Alaska 102,700 USD
Arizona 121,800 USD
Arkansas 111,700 USD
California 125,400 USD
Colorado 123,000 USD
Connecticut 115,600 USD
Delaware 107,700 USD
District of Columbia 105,200 USD
Florida 128,200 USD
Georgia 124,500 USD
Hawaii 105,200 USD
Idaho 114,600 USD
Illinois 130,400 USD
Indiana 125,400 USD
Iowa 114,600 USD
Kansas 112,700 USD
Kentucky 114,600 USD
Louisiana 112,700 USD
Maine 112,700 USD
Maryland 123,800 USD
Massachusetts 124,500 USD
Michigan 127,700 USD
Minnesota 115,600 USD
Mississippi 109,700 USD
Missouri 116,400 USD
Montana 111,700 USD
Nebraska 114,600 USD
Nevada 114,900 USD
New Hampshire 109,000 USD
New Jersey 124,500 USD
New Mexico 109,000 USD
New York 125,400 USD
North Carolina 118,900 USD
North Dakota 107,300 USD
Ohio 128,400 USD
Oklahoma 114,300 USD
Oregon 116,400 USD
Pennsylvania 123,800 USD
Rhode Island 100,700 USD
South Carolina 112,700 USD
South Dakota 109,700 USD
Tennessee 123,800 USD
Texas 130,500 USD
Utah 108,200 USD
Vermont 100,700 USD
Virginia 119,700 USD
Washington 117,100 USD
West Virginia 114,900 USD
Wisconsin 124,500 USD
Wyoming 102,700 USD

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